On 7/14/08, someone videotaped a Rick K performance at Knoebels Grove, a amusem*nt park in PA, performing the ZZ Top Classic "Sharp Dressed Man." Nearly two years later, someone posted it on YouTube, under the title "This Drummer Is At The Wrong Gig." For some strange reason, the video suddenly went viral. In just 4 days, it had received over 1 million hits. This began a chain of events...
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Born February 24 in Elkins WV, Steve Moore has built his entire life around a childhood dream. After seeing Chuck Berry on TV at age 5, Steve begged his parents to let him take guitar lessons. One year later, he was playing all of his favorite songs on guitar for his family. For the next three years Steve continued to study guitar and banjo, along with the piano. At age 9 the school band director gave his class a music test and tried to talk Steve into playing in the school band. Steve ignorantly said, “horns are dumb,” and walked away. The director being unsatisfied, called Steve’s parents the next day, and told them their son had an amazing sense of pitch, and asked that he reconsider. Steve finally gave in and joined the school band under the condition that after six months of playing the trumpet he would be permitted to switch to the drums. Six months later, he would reprioritize his life forever!
Steve performed in the usual school band programs and garage bands though his teens. By high school he was playing every weekend with the areas best bands. However, he soon became restless with merely playing on the weekends and realized that West Virginia was not exactly the music capital of the world. In order to make a living playing music, he would have to relocate.
For the next six years, Steve moved around the North East working in styles from progressive speed metal to punk. Influenced by drummers like Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, and Dave Lombardo, he sharpened his skills at playing with drum loops, odd meters, and polyrhythms. Steve was recording albums and touring (here and there), but was still not making a living playing drums. To support himself he would wash dishes and work in factories. A recording engineer, feeling sorry for Steve, let him sleep on the studio floor for six months in return for his drum tracks. Not exactly what he had in mind when he left West Virginia, but it would have to suffice until he could get a road gig. Steve had learned at a very young age, that most people hear with their eyes and was not too proud to use this to his advantage. He also noticed that people often associated with spectacles, or “characters,” much like “Ringo Starr.” He decided against the cookie cutter approach, and tried to be as OVER THE TOP as possible. One way or another, he WAS going to be noticed
In 1997, a variety showband called “Rick K and The Allnighters” hired Steve on the spot. The band had a Vegas Style approach, with lots of glitz and flash. Not only were they eager to showcase Steve, they were also established, and in a position to offer him 150-200 dates a year. Steve was playing everything from 50’s and 60’s, to country and pop. While traveling, he would study drummers like Krupa, and Rich, and take notes on their showboating and mannerisms. Steve was finally touring the country, and making a good living as a professional musician.
On June 1, 2010 a random fan uploaded a performance of Steve Moore on YOUTUBE entitled, “THIS DRUMMER IS AT THE WRONG GIG.” The video immediately went viral receiving over 5 million hits in less than a month. Even Mike Portnoy (drummer for Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) tweeted about Steve saying "O MY GOD.....This guy RULES!!"
Within weeks, Steve was recognized by Modern Drummer, Drummerworld, Ludwig, Sabian, Evans, Pro-Mark, Tosh.0, Yahoo, and was the topic of every drum forum on the web.
Steve has since appeared at multiple drum festivals, where he has performed with Thomas Lang, Benny Greb, and Keith Carlock, to name just a few. He even headlined The Adams Drummers Festival in Belgium, and closed the show with "Mike Portnoy" by his side!!!
2012 Steve also appeared at the famous Stefan Raab Show in Germany - three nights in a row - phantastic performance with great resonance in whole Europe....
